Dr. Roessler is an internationally recognized medical geneticist and molecular biologist with classical bench to bedside experience. He is an expert in translational research utilizing all of the resources of the NIH Clinical Center and basic science expertise concentrated on the NIH campus and affiliated institutions. Over many years, his principal research focus has been to develop and refine the tools to functionally annotate the human genome. This task has been advanced by intensive focus on the study of evolutionarily conserved developmental events, such as body plan organization and forebrain patterning, and the exploration of the molecular similarities and differences between humans and other vertebrates during these key events. The basic assumption is that human birth defects can often be traced to disturbances in the implementation of the instructions written in the human genome.

Biography

Dr. Erich Roessler obtained his B.A. summa cum laude from the Plan II Honors program at the University of Texas at Austin, and completed a combined M.D./Ph.D degree at Baylor College of Medicine as a Howard Hughes Medical Scientist scholar. After completing a pediatric residency at Children's Medical Center, Dallas, he trained in basic research and clinical trials as a medical staff fellow in the Metabolism Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health. He began formal training in medical genetics at the NIH in the Inter-Institute Training Program.

Following subspecialty training at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia in medical and biochemical genetics, he returned to the NIH as a staff scientist in the laboratory of Max Muenke, M.D. In recognition of his contributions to the success of the Muenke lab, he was promoted to faculty status and is engaged in development of a vigorous translational genetics program, adoption of new next generation technologies, implementation of rigorous diagnostic testing for the many disorders under investigation, and functioning of the lab.